Dear Editors, We would like to thank Drs Hüsnü Tokgöz and Özlem Tokgöz for their thoughtful correspondence regarding our prospective cohort study on complications after transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy in a Brazilian public reference centre.() In their letter, they accurately summarise our main findings, including a marked association between recent quinolone use and post-biopsy infectious complications. […]

Dear Editor, We read the article by Dr. Schollemberg et al. with great interest.() In their prospective cohort study, they assessed the complications and associated risk factors following transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (TRUSB) at a Brazilian public reference center. A total of 1,043 consecutive patients were assessed using the Global Prevalence of Infections in Urology form, and complications were classified based on the Clavien-Dindo system. Most bleeding events were mild (Grade 1), whereas 1.5% were of Grades 2–3 and were […]

Dear Editor, The widespread adoption of telemedicine has transformed healthcare delivery. However, the inability to perform hands-on physical examinations remains a significant limitation, particularly when accurate intravascular volume assessment is critical for conditions such as acute decompensated heart failure, sepsis, or renal failure.() Conventional clinical signs—including elevated jugular venous pressure, peripheral edema, hepatojugular reflux, or pulmonary rales—are either difficult to reproduce consistently or challenging to assess reliably through standard videoconferencing. Moreover, even at the bedside, their individual diagnostic utility is […]

Dear Editor We are deeply grateful to Dr. Ilker Sengul and Dr. Demet Sengul for their careful consideration of our article.() We feel honored by their interest in our work, particularly given their recognized expertise in this field. Below we present our considerations regarding the comments they kindly provided. […]

Dear Editor, We write in reference to the recently conducted article, ‘Multifocal Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinomas: is the Total Tumor Diameter Associated with Tumor Behavior? A Retrospective Cohort Study,” by Nardi et al.() While the authors’ efforts are commendable, we feel it is necessary to critically assess some of their findings and limitations. The primary conclusion of the study suggests that total tumor diameter (TTD)—defined as the sum of the largest diameters of all tumor foci—shows no significant association with initial […]

Dear Editor, Vieira et al.() report titled “ChatGPT: immutable insertion in health research and researchers’ lives”, and Daungsupawong et al.() subsequent comments on that report consider the use of artificial intelligence (AI)—specifically ChatGPT—in health research, and discuss the advantages that this technology offers. Daungsupawong et al.() complement Vieira et al.() report by suggesting the association of new technological resources to expand the application of AI in health research. Both articles warn of potential errors and failures associated with the use […]

Dear Editor, Subdural hematoma (SDH) is a type of intracranial hemorrhage that is characterized by the accumulation of blood in the subdural space.( 1 ) Although numerous conditions, such as coagulopathy, neoplasms, vascular malformations, aneurysms, and alcohol and cocaine use can lead to SDH, acute SDH is more often caused by head trauma.( 1 ) An acute SDH may resolve by reabsorption or, alternatively, it can progress to chronic SDH, generally by encapsulation and a complex process involving inflammation, angiogenesis, […]

Dear Editor, We thank the authors for their thoughtful and constructive comments on our study assessing the use of vegetable-derived peptones as substitutes for fetal bovine serum (FBS) in human deciduous dental pulp stem cell cultures. We agree that replacing FBS is essential to address ethical, biosafety, and batch variability concerns that are specifically relevant to translational and clinical applications in cell-based therapies.( , ) […]

Dear Editor, The innovative use of vegetable peptones as substitutes for fetal bovine serum (FBS) in stem cell culture presents promising advantages. Replacing FBS addresses major ethical and biosafety concerns, reduces batch variability, and lowers the risk of xenogeneic contamination – factors crucial for translational and clinical cell therapies. Notably, wheat peptone supported equal or superior cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation than that of FBS, likely because of its high glutamic acid and proline content. […]

RATIONAL USE OF TRANEXAMIC ACID There is strong evidence supporting the use of tranexamic acid (TXA) to reduce bleeding and transfusion needs in cardiac surgery, even among patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy.(,) The OPTIMAL trial (2022), involving over 3,000 patients, demonstrated that high- and low-dose regimens had comparable efficacy, although high-dose TXA was associated with a higher risk of postoperative seizures.() In practice, we favor a low-dose regimen of 10-15mg/kg as a bolus, followed by a continuous infusion of 1mg/kg/h. […]